I was super humbled and excited to be invited to facilitate the largest of five SIMULTANEOUS Startup Weekends in Tehran, Iran this week at the Shahid Beheshti University. (Read more on the EPIC world record on the UP Global blog).

And what an incredible weekend (well, in Iran it was technically in the week as Startup Weekends are not held on weekends here for religious reasons) it was!

This guy kicked it off with… YES, we also played an epic round of Half-Baked in Tehran, Iran too! Who says Iranians don’t know how to have fun and enjoy themselves?

Introducing the #OnePieceNorway Onesie to Iran

Then we lined up to pitch our ideas.

The line up at the wall to the left is the HUGE line of pitchers lining up

Then we pitched our ideas.

Yes, of course there were women participating too

Then we voted on the best ideas that would go on to form teams. Then they had to recruit and form their teams.

My friend Sara Usinger came by as a very special guest as she was the reason I got invited in the first place

The fabulous organizing team of Shahid Beheshti

On day two, the newly formed teams were off to work work WORK!

And take more #selfies.

Coaches came in and we had a session on how to pitch

Coaching teams

Coaching teams

Day three the teams had to present what they had built during the event and what they had learned in front of a jury.

Audience and jury is arriving – tensions are rising

Kicking off the final presentations in Iranian selfie style

And then the teams presented what they had built and what they had learned

The jury deliberated…

And the winners were…

The organizing team getting some recognition for their fantastic work

And then it was all over, with only one more thing to do…

The selfie to end all selfies – The mother of all selfies: ALL participants in my single selfie

And since I had some extra days to spend in Tehran – and an incredible host, guide and friend in Emad Saebi – I got to see more than just Startup Weekend Shahid Beheshti!

Emad and me at Milad Tower, Tehran – One of the landmarks

Enjoying my new North Korean hobby of pointing at things

The streets of Tehran, Iran

Going to the Bazaar

Selfie fans everywhere!

The streets of Tehran, Iran

The streets of Tehran, Iran

The streets of San F… I mean Tehran, Iran

Tres Bazaar – In Tehran, Iran selfies are contagious.

And at the end of my stay, Emad, the organizers and members of the Iranian Entrepreneurship Association treated me to a complete surprise dinner and brought me wonderful gifts. Thank you so much guys!